Be a man, Bob

Letters to the editor for July 25, 2013: Filner; air show; Walt Ekard; same-sex marriage; Obama and broccoli; Democrats and justice

Note to Filner: Be a man, be honest

C’mon Bob, did you do these things or not? It’s a simple question.

Be a man and step up to the plate. No need to play cheesy, costly games. If you did them, then admit responsibility and resign with some dignity. If you didn’t, then you should scream it from the roof tops: “I am absolutely innocent of these allegations. I did none of these things. These women lie!” So what is it, Bob? Yes or no? Be a man and be honest.

Bill Hersum

Bonita

Have a truly strong mayor

The suggestion that we need to reconsider the strong mayor vs. city manager form of city governance has merit (“Time to reconsider S.D. governance,” Letters, July 24). But the city manager/weak mayor combination has its problems as we learned in the late 1900s and early 2000s when it burdened the city with a still current and future unfunded retirement and health care liability. Fortuitously, our current chaotic mayoral situation offers an alternative.

The city can have an individual who is both a highly skilled professional city manager and undoubtedly no neophyte in the political arena, having survived some 13 years as a city manager elsewhere previously. And that would be to encourage — draft — the current chief officer, Walt Ekard, to run and with vigorous support be elected to serve also as mayor when inevitably the incumbent resigns or is recalled.

Roland Alfred Bowling

San Diego

Air show cuts likely part of PR strategy

The editorial on the Miramar Air Show (“Marines save air show from Obama gambit,” July 24) conjures up images of a Lincolnesque figure poring over war maps and deciding where to blockade and where to attack. It might be useful to take your entrenching tools and dig a bit deeper. Perhaps start at the Pentagon.

Based on a modicum of experience in this area, I say it is much more likely that such cancellations are part of a Department of Defense/Navy PR campaign as carefully planned as any military maneuver. Pick things that are of interest to civilians and fire away. Result: sympathy votes won. I wonder how much interest there would in an announcement that deployments were being cut by one month to save money? Beyond the military community, likely none. But cutting those 30 days would save a goodly sum and, in my opinion, not materially affect our defense posture.

Richard Cloward

Retired Navy captain

Tierrasanta

SDSU dean praises Walt Ekard

Walt Ekard’s commitment to public service is a key reason for his selection as the interim chief operating officer for San Diego. As a passionate advocate of public service, Walt is the best choice to lead and ensure continuity for our great city.

As his School of Public Affairs students at SDSU know, the value he brings to the employees and people of the city is immeasurable. Walt’s knowledge in public administration serves as the foundation for safeguarding the business of the city, while his dedication to a life of public service is an exceptional example.

For 11 years he has been a part-time lecturer at SDSU. Since 2007, Walt has received the student-selected “Outstanding Part-Time Faculty” award four times.

Having him at the helm of the city at this time is a great relief.

Joyce M. Gattas

Dean, College of

Professional Studies and Fine Arts, SDSU

Wants Dronenburg removed as clerk

County Clerk Ernest Dronenburg should be removed from office because he doesn’t understand that his job is to implement the law, not try to change it (“Clerk’s request for stay on gay marriages denied,” July 24).

This is evident by the fact that he used his public office to advance his personal political and religious agenda by requesting to discontinue issuing same-sex marriage licenses. He insults the intelligence of San Diego voters with his disingenuous excuse that “his intent was to prevent same-sex couples from the possible disappointment of having their marriages voided by future court decisions, reaffirming Proposition 8.”

David Miller

Carlsbad

President was just talking about broccoli

Tuesday’s Op-ed from the Washington Times was yet another laughable example of how far the Obama-haters will go to try and vilify our president.

Michael Taube tries to take the president to task for telling children attending the Kids’ State Dinner that his favorite food is broccoli. Taube’s attempt to take what was a nonpolitical, totally wonderful event and turn it into some type of partisan event is disgusting. He essentially calls the president a liar for saying he likes broccoli.

Mr. Taube, the president was doing what all well-meaning adults and parents do: taking advantage of a “teachable moment” with children who were enjoying an event that will probably be one of the happiest memories of their lives.

Those 54 youngsters were not chosen for their parents’ political affiliation. They earned seats at the dinner for taking up the First Lady’s challenge to live healthier lives.

Joan Allen-Hart

Escondido

A different take on healing

Regarding the article “True believers keep the faith in healers” (Fred Dickey, July 22), I was interested in the story about the colleague, Russ, who had a faith healing and then died as doctors had diagnosed.

My definition of healing may be different from many. Perhaps healing for Russ was to die. Why not? Just wanted people to think about it differently.

Jackie Newcomb

Rancho Bernardo

Democrats seem averse to justice

In November 2009 Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, a Muslim terrorist, killed 13 U.S. soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas. To date Hasan has not been brought to trial, which is an insult to the families of the slain soldiers. The Democrat attorney general of the U.S. just can’t seem to get the trial under way.

In February 2012, George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, had an encounter with Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. At the time, there apparently was insufficient evidence to warrant arresting Zimmerman for shooting and killing Martin. In response to political pressure, Zimmerman was arrested and ultimately tried. A jury of his peers found him not guilty. The verdict has not set well with Democrat constituents, and now they are demanding a civil trial.

In San Diego, we have Democrat Mayor Bob Filner, accused of sexual harassment, refusing to step down, and the county Democrat Central Committee doesn’t have the conviction to tell him to resign.